Tucked into its sleek shape are eight custom 40mm full-range drivers and two 3.3-inch subwoofers. It supports Hi-Res Audio formats and can stream from sources such as Spotify Connect, or over Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast. Audio formats supported include AAC, FLAC, WMA and Apple Lossless. If hooking up other sources is of interest, the Crescent has space for a 3.5mm jack, Ethernet and Optical inputs.

The speaker comes equipped with an optimised mic array and noise-rejection that Cleer assures produces superior far-field voice recognition. The Crescent has been designed to work in tandem with the new Cleer+ app, from which users can customise the speaker’s EQ.

There are a number of bespoke audio modes to choose from. For an immersive listening experience, Wide Stereo Mode can conjure a large soundscape from a stereo mix; Room Filling Mode disperses audio evenly throughout a room, while 3D Immersive Mode uses beamforming technology to channel sound to a single location for the perfect audio sweet spot.

Alex Arie, Vice President of Design at Cleer Inc said: “For many years, speakers in the home wouldn’t blend into their environment and would stick out in a non-attractive way. Because consumers shouldn’t have to settle for basic looking audio, we designed this speaker to not only optimize the listening experience but the aesthetics of the home. Crescent is an emotional expression of our love of both design and music.”

The Crescent Smart Speaker goes on sale in August 2020 and can be bought from retailers such as Amazon. It’ll cost $599.99 and has a price of £599.99 (TBC) for the UK.

Kob began his career at What Hi-Fi?, starting in the dusty stockroom before rising up the ranks to join the editorial and production team as the Buyer’s Guide editor. Experienced in both magazine and …

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